You’ve just moved into your dream home. Congratulations! But wait, what’s this? Your old furniture and accessories just don’t look at home here? They don’t seem to fit correctly? Or they just aren’t giving your new house the kind of warm, welcoming feeling they gave your old house. Don’t worry, help is on the way. You don’t have to start from scratch. And, with a few minor updates, you’ll come to love much of the furniture and accessories from your old home once again.

In this article, we’ll review some basics, then we’ll go room by room to help you create just the right balance in your new home. And, don’t worry, we’re including your outdoor entertainment area.

The Basics

Make it personal. It may be tempting to pick a page out of the Pottery Barn catalogue and try to create a look-alike space. But, we don’t think you’ll be very happy with that. You may really like each piece of furniture, and think that each accessory is beautiful, but none of it is going to have any meaning to you. So, the chances are pretty good that you’re going to get tired of things pretty quickly. Make family photos, keepsakes, and art you’ve collected over the years, a big focus for your new home. And, don’t forget, just because something is old, doesn’t mean you should get rid of it. That teak bench you’ve been moving from place to place since your first apartment after college can be a life-long favorite on the porch or in the entry way. It all depends on how you look at things.

Do what you love. If you’ve got a penchant for a certain style, go with that. Don’t pay too much attention to trends and current fashions. Love a lot of style? Pick your favorites, and mix and match. A lot of people think you can’t mix different types of wood in the same room. That’s just silly. Of course you can. A whitewashed or colorfully-painted sideboard combined with a modern teak dining table, for instance, can look wonderful. And there’s absolutely no reason not to combine a pine armoire with a wicker chair, and beautiful cherry-wood accessories.

Don’t forget lighting. Even the most luxurious home accessories will seem pale in comparison to simple items that are properly lit. Think of your lighting as an accessory. Whether you are using light to highlight a piece of art, or using lighting fixtures as accessories in their own right, you’ll be amazed at what a big difference the right lighting can make. If you aren’t sure what to do with your lighting, we’d recommend visiting your local lighting center. The advances that have been made recently in fluorescent and LED lighting mean you’ve got a lot more options than you did even a couple of years ago.

Don’t leave your floors bare. Area rugs are a great way to accessorize and create your own unique look. They are a great way to add a pop of color, or a splash of your own quirky, eclectic style.

Bathroom

Whether you’ve got a large or small bathroom, there are a lot of options for accessories. Our best advice is not to try to duplicate the look of a magazine photo, or the hotel room you just visited. You’re going to have shampoo bottles, toothpaste, and other things in your bathroom. And we doubt that you’re going to be able to keep everything out of sight. So, don’t fight it. A bathroom is a room with a purpose. It isn’t meant to be a showplace. But, that doesn’t mean it can’t look great.

Start with a few accent pieces. As you can guess, we’re going to recommend some teak. It is beautiful, practical and lasts a lifetime. A simple corner unit for stacking towels or a stylish teak shower bench are great places to start when accessorizing your bathroom.

Living Room

Remember, having a theme doesn’t mean having to match. Matching everything to the same color, same historical period, same fabric style or color, or same wood, is not the same thing as having a theme. If you want to go modern, focus on some streamlined pieces, but don’t forget to add some soft edges and rounded curves for contrast. If everything is sharp-edged, your room is going to look a little cold, and feel more like a hotel lobby than a comfortable and welcoming living space.

Patio

Treat your patio like your living room, and remember that you don’t have to have a matchy-matchy patio set to have something beautiful. There are wonderful ways to combine wicker, teak, stainless steel, and all kinds of textiles to create a unique look all your own. If you are stuck for ideas, check out our outdoor teak furniture catalog.

Congratulations again on your new home, and happy decorating!